


Ash'vhenan

by Wrenalynn



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Minor Female Lavellan/Cullen Rutherford, Modern AU, Modern Thedas, Rocker!Solas, more tags to come?, poor communications skills
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-05-28 18:58:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15055631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wrenalynn/pseuds/Wrenalynn
Summary: Kylan Lavellan owns a used bookstore, specializing in rare titles and the unique. Solas is a quiet and shy artist that lives across the street.One night, her best friend takes her out to see a heavy rock show by local headliner, Uthenera, and she finds herself inextricably drawn to the lead singer Fen'Harel. The quiet status quo would never suit her again.





	1. Dust to Dust

There are few things in this world as enjoyable as the smell of old books being opened after so long in storage. Kylan smiled as she eased open an old copy of “A Guide to Orlais” and scanned the index of chapters. She wasn’t looking for anything, and had no plans to visit Orlais anytime soon, but just setting her fingers to the worn pages of the book brought her a sense of peace.

She had built this place from the ground up, finding a street corner in the heart of the most elven district in Emprise du Lion and making it her own. The adorable little coffee shop next door had been snatched up at the same time, and she had removed the walls separating the two, creating instead a little reading nook and comfy corner where the bookshop and coffee bar had met.

 One of her best friends, Dorian, had agreed to help run and manage it, and her other friend Sera worked part time as a barista.

Through years of careful cultivation, she had accumulated an impressive array of rare and unique book titles to adorn her sweet little used Bookshop, Lath'in. It had become her greatest triumph, and her personal haven.

A loud ding from the bell above the shop door signaled the arrival of a customer and shattered her quiet moment. Kylan breathed deeply and snapped the book she was holding shut, nestling it back into its spot. She had barely enough time to turn around again before a blond blur whooshed around the corner and jerked to a stop in front of her. Rather than be startled by this, she sighed heavily.

“Oy! None of that!”

“What do you need, Sera?” Kylan crossed her arms and stared the girl down.

“Need? Ah, lots. For sure. One is for yer bum to remove its stick and come have fun tonight!” Sera grinned and pulled a very crumpled flyer out of her back pocket before shoving it at her.

Kylan took and smoothed it out as Sera bounded over to the check out counter and plopped herself up on it.

The flyer was dark with silver lettering and “White Rabbit: Bar and Venue” was splashed across the top. It was an announcement of a night of bands to perform that night, with a Headliner named Uthenera. The name piqued her interest and she quirked at eyebrow up as she looked at Sera.

“Really? The main band is Elvhen and _you_ are interested?” She handed the flyer back to her and grinned.

Sera snatched it from her with more force than was needed. “Well… yeah the band is all elves...but they ain’t snobby elfy elves… Y’know? Shite, just come out and have fun fer once! They’re good. Really good. And you need less arse sticks.”

Kylan laughed and moved to grab a stack of books to be re-shelved. “Alright, alright. I’ll think about it. Come back and ask me after lunch.”

Sera hopped off the counter and sketched a very poor military salute before turning on her heel and skipping out the door. Kylan couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head as she focused in on the books before her and settled back into the day.

~~

“Are you serious? You. Are going to a rock show. You?”

Kylan rolled her eyes and nudged her way past Cullen, reaching for a new pile of books collecting by the counter. “Yes, Cullen, I’m thinking about it.”

He moved out of her way and crossed his arms over his chest. “But it’s you. Your playlist consists of ethnic fiddle music and whatever passes for popular music these days, specifically of the overly cheery variety.” He raised an eyebrow on the final word. “You’re going to hate it, Ky.”

She decided ignoring him was prudent and simply shuffled the books around on her cart and pushed it off into the stacks. Her taste in music was certainly laughable, but he didn't need to point it out like that. Was she really such a boring stick in the mud?

Cullen was less than pleased at being ignored and followed behind her. “And who are you going with? Just Sera? It’s a good thing you have my number, you can call me when you can’t take it anymore.”

Kylan looked over her shoulder at him, a slight frown on her face. “Take what? Sera or the music?”

He chuckled slightly. “Both. Though calling that noise music is a bit of a stretch.”

She set one of the books back into its home and shrugged. “It’s good to get out of my comfort zone. Healthy, even. Why does it bother you so much that I agreed to go out with Sera?”

That shut him up. He shifted from foot to foot and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s just… well whenever I suggest something out of your norm, you shut me down.”

And there it was, the insecurity. She sighed and turned to face him properly. “Cullen...we’ve been on two dates. Getting to know someone is not the place to stress comfort zones or go to a rock concert where you can’t even hear the other person speak!” She rubbed her forefinger across her brow and leaned her hip against the book cart.

Cullen shrugged and dropped his arms. “I suppose I can understand that. Well...I hope you have fun. Give me a call if you need a way out.” He gave her a gentle, affectionate squeeze on her shoulder and quickly left the store.

Kylan watched him leave a smiled a little sadly. He was a good friend, but he did tend to pry a bit much. She thought back on their other dates, typical dinner and conversation pieces, and chuckled to herself. Well, he was right...they certainly didn’t push any boundaries. She shook the thought away and went back to work, letting the day glide by.

Before she knew it, Sera was standing in front of her desk, grinning from ear to ear and holding the most ridiculous outfit of ripped clothes and boots.

“Oh creators...” She stopped in her tracks and her mouth fell open. What had she let Sera talk her into? Tonight was going to be interesting.


	2. Dance With the Devil

The club lights were dimmed around the bar and red lights lit the currently bare stage. Instruments were set out, sitting patiently for the headlining band to make their way officially on-stage. Kylan was perched up on a barstool, sipping off a blue beverage and looking out over the crowd of people.

They were the most eclectic group she had ever seen. In one corner, a group obviously fresh from work had taken over a booth, undone ties and sleeves rolled to their elbows, drinking beer and cheering randomly. In another, there were the typical college kids in their jeans and sweaters with the university’s logo splashed across it.

Kylan had been thoroughly attacked by Sera and sat currently in a pair of denim short shorts, dark purple leggings underneath at her insistence, with boots and a band t-shirt that had seen better days and what looked like direct assault from a shotgun. Sera had stuffed her hair up into double messy buns, but she couldn’t find any fault in the make-up she’d chosen. With only eyes and lips done, and her vallaslin allowed to stay vivid and strong across her cheekbones, she felt rather like a punk warrior. Sera sported a similar outfit that Kylan had dubbed “dark grunge” and was happy it was on Sera and not her.

She sat tapping her foot against the barstool rung and smiled. The music had been better than she expected, and she was actively enjoying both herself and the drinks.

Hard rock and metal had not been something she thought she would enjoy, but when she could hear the lyrics, they spoke to something in her, and the energy of the crowd pulled her in completely.She was on her third cocktail and was very firm in her decision to be up by the stage when the next group of performers made their debut.

Sera popped back up by her side as soon as she’d finished her beverage. The musicians for the headlining band were beginning to filter onto the stage and Kylan grabbed Sera by the hand to lead her off towards the front. Her small stature came in handy as she wove through the crowd, finding a good spot just slightly off-center of the stage.

The lead singer was facing the drummer, having a conversation with his back to the crowd, but something about him suddenly drew her eye. Tightly woven, dark auburn braids cascading down his back to just before his waist, and stylized leather strings in a similar color looped from near his forehead, under his pointed ears, and around to the back of his head.

The bassist had started tuning, and the crowd grew louder and more excited. She stapped Sera on the shoulder and pantomimed asking who it was.

Sera leaned over to yell in her ear, “Fen’Harel! He’s lead vocals!”

Kylan turned her gaze back just as he turned around and the drummer started into his own beat. Fen’harel shifted his own guitar and swayed into the mic, announcing the band name before striking the first chord and leading the band off.

His voice carried through the crowd, slightly accented and mesmerizing. The lighting of the club made it hard to tell his coloring, but the angles of his face and the dimple to his chin drew her gaze as he closed his eyes and gave himself up to the power of the performance. She moved along to the music and lost herself to the rhythm and the lyrics.

He sang of lost battles and bloody war, and timeless love cursed by betrayal. His songs wove stories, but pulled in such emotion she was caught up in it. completely enthralled. She couldn’t deny the draw of this. Modern pop was so repetitive, and she finally grasped why Cullen teased her so for listening to it.

Sera was dancing with her and laughing. Kylan herself was flushed with exertion and smiling like a lunatic. She was panting by the time the music ebbed and the set ended. She spun towards the stage to cheer with the rest of the crowd and her eyes caught the lead singer’s.

Her smile faltered some when he didn’t break the gaze. He was staring right at her. She took Sera by the hand as the drummer tapped him on the shoulder and started speaking into his ear, causing him to finally break the contact and pivot his attention. He set his guitar back down and moved to leave the stage with his two bandmates.

Sera tugged on her hand, trying to lead her back to the bar, gaining back her attention. Kylan let her own gaze drift back to Sera and changed her focus to making sure she maintained her footing through the crowd. As they reached it, Sera tossed up her hand to order another drink. “Well? How'd ya like em?”

Kylan grinned. “You got me. This was amazing.”

Sera slapped her on the thigh, and barked out a laugh. “Yes! Oi, what did I tell you?! Best time.”

Kylan nodded, glancing briefly back at the stage before turning her attention to the bartender sauntering over. There was one more band to finish the night, and another drink couldn't hurt.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> As always I appreciate everyone who stops by, whether they comment, kudo, or not.
> 
> I will be moving now to a once a week update, arbitrarily picking Wednesday as my go to day as a means to keep myself motivated and posting.
> 
> Ash'vhenan means "Her Heart"


	3. Battle Born

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little early for you.
> 
> Have a safe 4th of July.

 

There was something about the smell of whiskey and dive bars that gave Solas a definite sense of peace, as odd as it was. They were loud, full of people, and tended to be on the cramped side and dimly lit, but they were home for Uthenera. He saw the way the people moved to his music, and focused on the stage, and he knew he had an impact on the crowds that came to see them.

He wouldn’t give it up for the world.

He stepped out on stage and moved over to where Abelas was adjusting his seat at the drums, leaning over to his ear to speak to him. “ Second song from practice to start?”

Abelas just nodded and Felassan was already over with his bass, tuning and pretending not to make eyes at a group of women in a booth off to the right. Solas just grinned. Here, he was Fen’harel and he commanded the attention of the entire audience.

He stepped up to the mic, and swayed his body towards it while settling his guitar into position.

“We are Uthenera!!” He shouted into the crowd, letting the last vowel linger as he struck the first chord and launched the band into their set.

The music drove him, and the lyrics touched his heart. These were stories with no happy ending, no pop princes, and real emotions. They were fantasy, but grounded in the tragedies of real life. The images he brought to life with his songs played like movies through his dreams at night.

As the final song came to an end, his eyes caught a lithe elven figure at the edge of the stage, and he missed the final note The dark green Vallaslin of Dirthamen crossed its way across her face, drawing him in. Secrets indeed.

She ended her enthusiastic movements and her eyes caught his stare. Her eyes widened slightly and her grin lessened, focus on the outside stimuli momentarily halted. The moment was ended by an abrupt tap on his shoulder.

“Fen!”

Solas jerked and looked over his shoulder at Abelas. Felassan stood just behind him, one eyebrow quirked up and a funny look on his face.

“Dude! Where is your head, man? You broke tempo at the end there.”

Abelas only jerked his head towards the exit and started walking off stage. Solas followed, and Felassan brought up the rear. Once they were in the small corridor leading towards the venue’s ‘green room’, Fel punched him square in the shoulder, causing Solas to wince and glare at him.

It’s true. That pair of green eye’s and bright smile had halted him in his tracks. She had an ethereal feeling to her and he had a sudden urge to get back to his studio and put his pencil to paper as soon as he could. He shook his head to try and clear the image as he entered the small staging room their things were in.

Abelas had taken a seat next to the door and was fiddling with the laces on his boots. Solas took the chair next to him and Felassan spun another around to sit in it backwards. Abelas looked dour as usual, but Fel looked ready to vibrate out of the room.

“Man, that crowd was really pumping! I think we really got through to them. The revolution continues!” Felassan cheered and started to laughed.

Solas rolled his eyes, but couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped him at his bandmate’s antics. “It is hardly a revolution, Felassan. At most, we have a few new fans to listen to our music.”

“Ah! But that is how revolutions start! With a few choice words and stories, shared out among the crowds. Then more people tell even more people how impressive we are, and before you know it, we are invited to play before the Empress and make true waves across the continent!” He stood up for the last sentence, using his arms for more emphasis, eyes shining with determination.

Solas scoffed, “I would not wish to perform for that racist dictator. I will be happy singing in local venues and touching the lives of those near the bottom.”

Felassan made a shooing gesture at him and plopped back down in his chair, tipping it backwards to balance on only two legs. “You’re no fun, Fen. Where’s your sense of adventure?”

Solas shook his head and began the process of doing all the tiny snaps and straps that kept his elaborate headpiece on. “Gone. Much like my years and my hair.” He grinned sardonically as he slid it off and into his lap.

Abelas made a funny grunting noise and finally deigned to speak up. “Why do you even wear that ridiculous thing? Has your dignity also fled along with your sense?”

Solas shrugged a shoulder and focused on carefully putting the snaps back together so nothing tangled. “That is not a particular virtue I have tried to portray in quite some time. Besides, posturing is necessary. We have a public image to maintain, and I doubt the ecstatic crowds we get now would come to listen to us were our band fronted by a rather bald and unimpressive elf.”

Abelas shrugged and stood up. “Well enjoy your posturing. I am going for a drink.” At this declaration, Felassan popped back up onto his feet, knocking the chair he was in fully to the ground. Solas winced at the noise, but said nothing.

“To the bar! You not coming with us, Fen?” Felassan tried to wrap an arm around Solas’ shoulders and he simply shrugged him off.

“No, I have...some work to catch up on. I shall see you tomorrow for practice.” He moved to gather his things and waved the two of them away.

“Suit yourself, old man. Have fun being boring.” Felassan waved and tripped after Abelas, who had no patience for the duo’s antics.

Solas smiled very slightly after they had left. They all performed for different reasons, but the power of the music drew them all in just the same. Only so many performers had the innate talent that they did.

He pulled a brown beanie onto his head, and headed for the exit. There were still a few hours left to the day and he had a canvas calling his name, and an image burning in his mind that demanded life through charcoal.

 


	4. Hell To Pay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What even is an upload schedule anyways?
> 
> I'm playing with a new idea of naming the chapters after songs on my Solavellan Hell playlist.  
> Let me know if you like it!

 

Kylan yawned and reached for the cup of tea sitting off at the top of her desk. Her head felt like someone had smashed it open, stirred the insides, and then stuffed if full of cotton and closed it back up. She flipped a page of the ledger she had propped open in front of her and tried to force the numbers to make sense. That was the last time she let Sera talk her into drinking that much when she knew she had to work the next day. She wasn’t 23 anymore, drinking and dancing had her entire existence annoyed at her today.

Frustration got the better of her and she slammed the ledger closed and frisbee’d it off across the floor.

The door dinged and a lovely dark-haired lady sashayed through and over to where the book had landed. She crouched slightly and scooped it up, eying the cover before flipping it open and glancing at the pages. “Well...That is certainly one way to handle your finances.” She grinned and cut her eyes up to Kylan.

Kylan laughed and stood up from her desk. “Well a better option is just to have you have at it, as usual.” She crossed to where the woman stood and hugged her. “I missed you, Josie. What brings you by today?”

Josephine grinned and returned the hug before stepping back and focusing on the ledger again. “Oh, I wanted to check on you after pictures Sera sent me of your….adventures last night.” Her face kept it’s serene expression as she looked over the lines of numbers. Kylan just groaned and put a hand to her forehead.

“What?! She has pictures? Oh, murder is too good for that little traitor.” She moved to lean against her desk and crossed her arms. “I’m sorry, Josie. Please look after the store while I’m in prison.”

Josie just laughed. “Oh, I’m not sure they are all that bad. Simply proof that you went out and had some fun for once. Still, I shall strive to keep the store profitable as you serve your time. Oh! Speaking of which, I had a lovely idea I wanted to share with you.”

“What, about my serving time?” Kylan raised a brow to her and tried not to laugh again. Josie just scoffed and waved her hand to dismiss her silliness.

“No, something to help get some color onto your walls and possibly draw in some more interested customers. Perhaps even earn a little extra revenue as well.”

Kylan nodded, and gestured the two of them over to the comfy reading nook. The store had plenty of stacks, but Josie was right, the walls lacked any decoration where there wasn’t a shelf. She just hadn’t found anything that grabbed her attention enough to spend the money and hang it up. There was a reading corner, full of plush armchairs and scattered pillows, and a few scattered tables and chairs near the coffee bar, but the decoration stopped there.

The idea was to work with local artists to showcase their works in her own space, earning the artists a place to display and sell their work, and bring some lovely side benefits to her own shop.

“I know of a few local artists I feel would fit right in here, aesthetically speaking.” Josie flipped open a small notebook and scribbled some names down. “I’ll contact them for you and leave you their information if they respond positively.”

Kylan nodded and leaned over to look at the names she had written down. None of them stuck out to her. “Sounds perfect. You’re right, you know. I’ve worked so hard at cultivating my selection that I have completely ignored the fact that this place needs more to look at. I could use the decoration as well or I’ll just end up face deep in a book at all times.” 

Josie laughed and closed her notepad. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I take your point. Well, I do have some other clients to see to so I’ll get going now. Call me if you need anything else, and I’ll reach back out to you at the end of the week over which artists seem most willing.”

Kylan nodded and stood up, crossing back towards her desk as Josie headed for the door. She stopped just before she reached for the knob. “Oh and Kylan?”

“Hmm?”

“Drink some orange juice instead. It will help more than the tea.” She winked and swept out the door.

Kylan groaned and glared at the half-drunk cup of tea. She flipped the little switch next to her office door that turned on her ‘Open’ sign and rolled her shoulders. Headache or not, it was time to organize and get to work...and maybe take some medicine.

 

~

 

Solas stepped through the door of the little bookstore, a musical tinkling announcing his arrival. He narrowed his eyes at the offending bell above the door, old-fashioned and a nuisance to those not wanting to be accosted by over-eager employees.

He moved quickly to get lost in the stacks and scanned the hand-written aisle markers for the Art section. There had been a petite worker at the front desk who had started to turn her head, and he wished to avoid speaking to anyone until he had to. He turned his back on her and focused firmly on the over-sized books he had been looking for.

Kylan had in fact noticed the man, but recognized the ‘leave me alone’ posture anywhere. She shrugged and went back to sorting books onto a return cart.

He scanned the titles carefully, looking for a particularly obscure book on ancient architecture styles. To his happy surprise, this shop had routinely had the stranger titles that he had a hard time finding anywhere else. It had the added benefit of being directly across the street from his studio loft, and if he had more time he would likely spend more money here than he should.

He tucked the book he was looking for under his arm and headed for the coffee bar, ordering a mug and making for one of the overstuffed armchairs near a table. A lithe elven woman, dancing and smiling, was stuck in his head, and he knew he would have to sketch her out before he could focus again on the landscapes he preferred.

Bent over a sketchpad, his coffee only half-drunk, was how Kylan found him an hour later. She had noticed him as she worked and become intrigued in what he was doing. He had pulled that architecture book from the shelf, but it sat closed on an end table and he appeared to be completely enthralled in whatever he was doing. 

She stepped closer to him and cleared her throat. 

Solas darted his eyes over and caught sight of her now very familiar face. He looked back at what he’d been drawing, a rather stylized fantasy version of the exact same face that was coming steadily closer. He jerked suddenly, knocking his not-quite empty mug all over the page he’d been working on. He swore in elven and turned it sideways. “Ahh...” He hissed a little as he realized he’d lost the entire work.

Kylan grabbed for a handful of napkins as quickly as she could. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you like that.” She bent over the table and mopped up what was left of the liquid.

Solas shook his head and tried to avoid staring at her. “No...no, I was too caught up in what I was doing to notice anyone approaching. Can I help you, Miss….?”

Kylan pushed all the dirty napkins into a pile. “Kylan Lavellan. This is my bookshop.” She smiled at him and picked the pile up to throw away. 

Solas frowned for a second. The wild creature he had seen the other night was a polite bookstore owner by day? Well.. Stranger things had happened. Especially to him. It seemed the lines across her face were more apt than he realized. 

“My name is Solas. I live across the way and I have always greatly admired your selection here. You have some of the rarest titles in the city.”

She came back over and sat in the chair opposite him. “Thank you! That means a lot. I’ve worked very hard to secure this collection. Some of these books are out of print. But, that isn’t why I came over to speak to you. I was just thinking lately that my shop lacked something, and when I saw you sketching so enthusiastically over here, I knew just what I needed.”

He raised his brow in surprise and flipped his notebook to an older drawing before setting it back down. “What is is I can help you with?”

“I was wondering if you would have any interest in showcasing your work in my shop. I have all the books I could need, but my walls are lacking.” She leaned over and tapped a finger to his sketchpad. “You have talent. And obvious passion. That much is clear in how you lose yourself in your work. If you have any pieces you were looking to sell, you could showcase them here. Is that something you could be interested in?”

Solas leaned back in his chair and looked from his sketches, back to her. “The idea has merit, I must admit. I can certainly bring by my portfolio at a later date for you to look at.”

Kylan clapped her hands together and grinned at him. He smirked as well, overcome by her enthusiasm and the way her face lit up as she smiled. “Perfect!” She pulled her wallet out and took a business card out of one pocket. “This has my cell number on it as well as the store number. You can call me and I’ll make sure my accountant joins us.”

He reached out and took the card from her just as the door jingled to announce another visitor. She turned her head and her smile slid into a smirk. “I’ll be right back.” 

The newcomer was tall and blonde, and had eyes only for her. Solas tucked her business card carefully into his wallet and watched the interaction. The man was speaking to her with a smile on his face, obviously excited over something. The way he turned his body towards her and how he idly touched her during the conversation spoke of an intimacy that put Solas right off his art. A variety of new, and unwelcome, emotions brought on by a woman he barely knew caused a frown to form on his face.

He moved his attention to cleaning up his things to leave. He left the architecture book behind, forgotten as his newfound annoyance propelled him right out the door.

  
  



	5. Veil of Elysium

 

Felassan idly tapped his fingers against the edge of his bass, beginning to become slightly annoyed. “Fen! That is the third time today that you’ve lost the tempo. I’m supposed to be the scattered brained one, not you...”

Solas winced and readjusted his hold on his guitar. “My apologies. I shall endeavor to focus on the music properly.”

Abelas just raised a brow at the two and said nothing, resting his drumsticks idly in his lap.

“Yeah...well...you do that then.” Felassan shook his head and shifted his instrument. “Let’s get back to the previous refrain we were working on. I really like this new song and I would love for it to be ready for our next gig.”

“You’re right. This has great promise. Give us the beat in, Abelas, I am ready this time.” Solas smiled and mentally pushed away the images of potential artwork that had been flitting through his head. 

It had been a week since he had been into the little bookshop, but he had been thinking of it’s petite owner in paintings and sketches ever since.

He had even left behind the book he’d meant to purchase, wanting to avoid interrupting the personal conversation that had begun to take place while he was there. Her business card was still tucked into the pocket of his jacket, waiting on him to stop being such an awkward coward and just call her already.

Felassan started in on the beat again and Solas narrowed his eyes at the way his fingers sat upon the frets. This time he would focus. This time he would not let them down.

Abelas grinned, noticing the sudden intense concentration. His friend could fool many people, but not him. Something was distracting him in a way that he had never seen before. He’d wiggle it out of him eventually. He always did.

 

~

 

Kylan sat tapping her pencil against the side of her tea cup, staring out at the few patrons milling about the stacks. Most were elves, as that made up most of the neighborhood populace, but she had a few repeat customers that were of the human variety. Specifically a few history professors from Halamshiral University’s history department had a tendency to sneak in and try to avoid being noticed. That was the one that pleased her the most, knowing that while they had access to such a prestigious library, they still desired her own selection. 

She waved to one of the professors she recognized and smiled. He noticed her and blushed bright read, sticking his nose further in his book and disappearing further into the aisles. 

Sera had gotten bored of the coffee counter and had started to make a beeline for her desk.

She laughed and leaned back in her chair just as Sera bounced over and perched herself on the edge of the desk. “Hey, girlie, how’s it going?”

Sera pulled a face at her and groaned. “Oh get bit, Ky.” This started a giggle fit in Kylan. Sera swatted at her until she calmed down. 

“Sorry, sorry. Heard of anymore shows going on soon?”

“Oooh, look who liked our little date!” Sera shimmied her shoulders at her and winked. Kylan just shoved her off the desk edge.

“Ugh, now who needs to ‘Get bit’, huh? I happened to like the show. I want to see another.”

Sera chose to sit cross-legged on the floor, accepting her eviction from the desk. “Yeah, well, one good thing about this fancy cess pit is there’s usally a show goin on! I’ll text ya, yeah?”

Kylan nodded. “Just let me know.”

Sera popped up off the floor, sticking two thumbs up in the air. 

Cullen walked into the store just as Sera was bouncing backwards, switching the thumbs up into double birds. 

Kylan just shook her head as he approached her desk, looking oddly at Sera as she flounced out of the building.

“Dare I even ask what that was about?”

“Oh, you know Sera. Never a dull moment.” She stood up from her desk and leaned over to give him a little peck on the cheek. 

Cullen turned an adorable shade of pink and cleared his throat. How easily he was affected by simple gestures was always something that had made Kylan smile. 

“What brings you by?”

“Ah, well...you see. There is a new exhibit opening at the Musee. I was wondering if you wanted to see it. With me!...that is. Together. As it were. “ He stood a little straighter with each fumbled sentence until he was ramrod straight and looking as if he were at attention. 

She chuckled softly and took his hand in hers. “Of course, Cullen. I’d love to.”

“You would?” He looked down at her with a very light frown on his face that quickly broke into a smile. “Oh! Wonderful. The exhibit has a grand opening tomorrow at 7. I can pick you up at 6:30. It’s a ticketed event, but I managed to score some tickets for the precinct.”

“Sounds wonderful. What’s the exhibit?”

The nervousness that had surrounded him from the initial request slowly receded to be replaced by the more jovial side of him that she preferred. The exhibit was on the ancient elves of the dales. Kylan was mildly skeptical on what the museum would have to offer. It was run solely by the Orlesian government and in her experience, there was often very little that wasn’t appropriated or flat out stolen from the various clans scattered and broken across the dales. 

Cullen’s enthusiasm was infectious though. Kylan smiled at him and decided it would likely not be so bad. Regardless of the exhibit, she’d have the opportunity to spend more time getting to know Cullen better. They’d been flirting with each other for months, but it had barely gone beyond some basic affections.

Her phone dinged with an incoming text, and she lifted it up to see what it was. 

 

~Sera~

oi, tmrw 9

12 route industrielle

 

She sighed and tucked her phone away without responding. The date would have to go very badly for her to ever make it to that show. 

And there was no way the exhibit could be that bad.

  
  



	6. M.I.N.E.

 

“This is that bad!”

 

Kylan was standing near to the exhibit at the Musee with her hand raised in an open-handed pointing gesture towards the glass case. Inside, a wax elf wearing full ceremonial Keeper’s robes stood with four other figures spaced around him, in various poses of subjugation. Her voice was an angry whisper, in an attempt to not full on yell through the exhibit hall.

Cullen stood with his hands up in an attempt to calm her down, but this was only serving to make her progressively redder and angrier. “Please, Kylan. Not so loud! Not here!” He tried to reach out to her, but she stepped back and turned her head to take in the other patrons pretending to not be paying attention.  It hadn’t escaped her notice that she was the only elf here in this stuffy, pretentious Orlesian museum.

“If not here, then where? Where, Cullen, am I allowed to express my disdain at how these thrice-damned Orlesian fops warp my culture and insult my heritage at every turn? Who did they ‘aquire’ that robe from? Which Dalish clan did they interview and then ignore to get their ‘facts’?” A headache had started to build in her temple as her blood pressure rose, wiping her ability to think clearly in the face of pure rage. Cullen’s continued attempts to calm her, only served to further her frustrations.

Cullen dropped his hands and finally frowned down at her, “You’re making a scene, Kylan. There are official channels you can go through to air your concerns over their exhibition decisions.”

Kylan let out a small, angry laugh, crossing her own arms to glare right back up at him. “Oh you mean like the 'Official channels' they took to procure those artifacts and then display so they can profit off all of these rich snobs?”

He leaned forward and opened his mouth to snap back at her, but she held up a hand first.

“Forget it. There’s no point. Here you’re just their Chief of Police, and can’t be seen agreeing with the crazy little elf.” She turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving Cullen standing there with his hand half in the air and his mouth hanging open. A few moments passed before he turned and moved away towards a balcony, rubbing his hand angrily through his curls and seeking fresh air.

He was standing out on a terrace with a hand on his hip and the other taking his weight as he leaned on the balcony edge, when a rather tall, red-headed woman stepped out to join him. He found himself staring at her shoes for a few beats before raising his head to meet her eyes. Surprise flitted over his features as she slowly moved further towards him.

Her bright greens eyes stood out to him first, but he soon noticed the slinky navy blue dress that was all but painted onto her figure and that she held a full wine glass in each hand. He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie, pushing off the balcony to stand up straight in her presence.

“Rough date, Commander Cullen?” She asked with a smile, reaching out to hand him one of the wine glasses. She knew him, but it was also possible that was just from his public office. He searched her face, nearly losing himself in her familiar gaze. He accepted the wine glass from her and slightly tilted his head, a mild look of confusion on his face.

“Yes...I...suppose so. Though, I likely could have handled that better.” He gently twirled the wine glass for a moment, looking down into the golden liquid as if it might hold some answers. “And it is entirely possible that she had a right to her concerns.” He sighed and focused back on her face, her eyes and the delightful little smirk gracing her lips.

“Oh, possibly. They are a rather pretentious lot here.” The smirk on her face turned to a bright smile full of mischief, and she chuckled slightly.

Cullen’s eyes suddenly went wide with recognition as he finally placed that voice, and those captivating eyes. His very first assignment as a brand new cadet on the force had been as a personal security detail for the rather young and mischievous daughter of a prominent Fereldan family. She had also been his very first crush, who still crossed his mind in his lonely moments.

“Miss...Miss Amell.”

The lady’s chuckle turned into delighted laughter. “How kind of you to remember me, Cullen.”

He swallowed and took a firmer grip on his wine glass, hoping to hide the nervous tremble that had started. His next words came out slightly wobbly and in a deeper voice than he intended.

“Oh, I could never have forgotten you, Solona.”

 

~

 

Kylan threw her purse at her couch and let out an angry yelp of frustration before flopping into a chair at her breakfast table.

_Well, that could have gone better._

She groaned and dropped her head into her hands. It was unlikely that Cullen would ever talk to her again after that little display. The thought stung, but really what was she expecting going on a date with the Chief of Police to a public gala. An  _Orlesian_ public gala. She groaned again and contemplated her very real troubles in a glass of Thedosian whiskey. There was a bottle somewhere in the cabinet that would likely appreciate a good dust-off.

Potential recipes for said alcohol began flitting through her head when her phone suddenly vibrated and began playing the newest track from Uthenera, drawing her attention. She raised it up, seeing an unknown number splashed across the screen. The typical response to an unrecognized number is to ignore it, but something nagged at her and she found herself swiping to answer and bringing it to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Ah, Miss Lavellan?”

The voice on the other end had a slight accent to it, and a rich deep tone that did a few funny things to how her stomach was feeling.

“Yes, this is Kylan.”

“Ah wonderful. This is Solas, the artist you spoke to in your shop week before last?”

Recognition dawned on her and she remembered clearly the rather striking bald gentleman who had been in her shop, impressing her with his art and spilling coffee everywhere. She smiled softly, thankful for the distraction from her previous thoughts.

“Yes, I remember. Solas. What can I do for you?”

“Well, I had finally put together that portfolio for you and was-”

A sudden loud drum sounding crash on his side of the phone cut off his words abruptly.

“-ah sorry. Anyways, I was hoping that you still wanted to take a look at it?”

“Yes, of course I would love-”

Another crash interrupted her, though this time it sounded more like a cymbal.

“My apologies.”

“No, it’s quite alright. I would love to see your artwork. Ah, where are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

He laughed softly into the phone, and the sound carried itself down through her spine, setting her nerves slightly tingling.

“I am visiting a friend. A very loud friend who owns a drumset and lives to be a constant irritant.”

She heard shuffling noises as he pulled the phone away and yelled something to the ‘friend’ in question.

“Ahem. My apologies. When would be a good time to come by?”

Tapping a finger to her chin, she hmm’d into the phone and thought about it, even pulling the phone back slightly to check the time. 7:45. Creators, she hadn’t even lasted 20 minutes into that gods forsaken museum.

“After hours is the easiest for me to have the time. What are you doing right now? I know you mentioned living near to the store. I live right above it. I can be there whenever you have time.”

“Right now?” His voice sounded slightly excited but additional angry voices and a loud noise came from his side of the line.  A moment passed before he spoke again. “I am previously engaged tonight. Perhaps tomorrow?” Something that sounded like feedback from an amp appeared to punctuate his question.

This time, it was her turn to chuckle into the phone. “Sure. Tomorrow is just fine.”

“Thank you, Miss Lavellan. I shall speak with you tomorrow.”

“It’s just Kylan, Solas. I look forward to seeing your work.”

She ended the call and set her phone down on the table. Now it was definitely a good time for that drink she had been contemplating, but before she had even gotten a glass down, her phone was vibrating again. This time it was texts.

 

~Sera~

prepare ur bits!

We r cum ing in 5

;D

 

Kylan groaned out loud at the terrible innuendo. She had forgotten all about the rock show tonight. Shrugging and accepting her fate, she texted back.

 

Alright, I’ll bite

Who’s we?

 

~Sera~

wot?

 

~Mari H.~

Surprise!

 

“Oh no….”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this.   
> All three of you, lol <3.


	7. Question Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back at it again. Thank you to the people who have read, and left comments. I have had an amazingly rough several months and a combination of getting a laptop again, and your lovely words, have gotten me to take up my pen again and finish this thing.
> 
> I'm still writing, and I will not promise an upload schedule at this time, but its all a-comin'. So stay tuned, and enjoy this update!

 

 

Felassan was pacing around their practice room as Solas pulled out his phone. 

“Really? Right now, Fen?” He stared him down in annoyance.

Solas just rolled his eyes and pulled a little card out of his pocket. “Yes, right now. I’ll make it quick, but it has been bothering me for days.”

Felassan just threw up his hands and went to go plunk down in the stool for Abelas’ drumkit. He watched Solas begin to fidget as he spoke to whoever had been distracting him for the last week. It was interesting to see that man finally appear nervous or out of sorts, and it caused the impish side of him to start thinking up ways to mess with Solas.

“Well, I had finally put together that portfolio for you…”

 

Felassan was leaning a little too forward in an attempt to eavesdrop and the phone that had been sitting in the pocket of his overshirt slipped out, falling right onto the snare drum.

Solas whipped his head around and glared as he kept the phone conversation moving regardless.

Although completely unintentional, it had been hilarious and the little voice in his head responsible for shenanigans took over completely. He stood up and stepped just to the right of the drumset, attempting an innocent expression.

Whatever the person on the other line was saying was starting to bring a smile to Solas’ typically dour countenance. Felassan reached out and hit one of the cymbals as hard as he could.

If looks could kill, that one might have caused some serious internal bleeding.

“My apologies.” He spoke while turning to move to the other side of the room, away from the drumset.

Felassan put his hands behind his back and continued to slink up slowly behind him, intent on continuing his pestering until Solas gave up the conversation. The smile was back on his face now, and he was even laughing! The nerve. 

“I am visiting a friend. A very loud friend who owns a drumset and lives to be a constant irritant.”

“Hey! I resemble that remark!” Felassan snapped back, barely a couple of feet behind him.

Solas jerked the phone away from his face and put his hand over the mic area. “Felassan! Fenedhis, would you lay off for five minutes so that I can finish this call in relative peace?!”

 

Felassan popped his hands up in surrender and pivoted away just as a knock sounded against their door. He bounced away to pull it open. Abelas came in with their second amp, raising his brow and jerking his head towards Solas as he noticed him on the phone. 

“What’s going on?”

“Ole Fennie is flirtin’ on the phone.”

Abelas looked back over and noticed the smile on Solas’ face this time. Ah, the mystery distraction. He handed the amp over to Felassan and began walking towards him. Felassan took the amp and positioned it right next to the other one, a mischievous grin on his face. He kept an eye on his two bandmates as he twiddled some of the knobs on the amp and grabbed for his bass.

 

“Right now?” Abelas had just come into hearing range as Solas said this and ran right into a box, knocking it to the ground. 

“Excuse me? What’s now?” Abelas leaned over to right the box. Solas shot him a glare, and Abelas glared right back.

“I am previously engaged tonight. Perhaps tomorrow?”

 

Felassan chose that moment to plug the amp cord into his bass, sending a sharp buzz of feedback through the small room.

Solas put his head in his hand, looking greatly frustrated that he couldn’t get further away from the dual nuisances. His annoyance mostly evaporated as he listened to her chuckle into the phone. It was a soft sound that slithered its way down his back, creating a slight tingling sensation.

“Thank you, Miss Lavellan. I shall speak with you tomorrow.”

Abelas snorted behind him, a noise halfway between disgust and amusement, as he finished off his conversation.

 

Solas hung up and immediately rounded on his bandmates, the annoyance back to full strength. “Five minutes! I requested five minutes to make a call and you couldn’t even allow me that! Your behavior is that of a spoiled child!”

Felassan shrugged a shoulder at him and went back to work re-adjusting all the knobs to actual playing levels. “I hardly did anything. You’re just cross because you have a crush and don’t know how to deal with having emotions yet.”

Solas pointed a finger at him. “That is hardly the case. She is interested in displaying my artwork in her shop, that is all.”

Felassan snorted in laughter. “Yeah. Your artwork. I’m sure. She likes the way you hold your...brush.” He said the last word with a wink and a waggle of one eyebrow.

 

Abelas chose then to step between them and hold up his hands, right as Solas was turning an interesting shade of red and gearing up for a yelling match. “Alright, alright! As intriguing as it is watching Solas express any sort of strong emotion…” A small ‘hey!’ came from Solas at this, “We really should get back to work. We may be the second set, but we still need to be at the venue in an hour and we need to make sure we’ve got our timing down.”

Solas just threw up his hands in frustrated surrender and back off to find his guitar. “Very well. We shall discuss this again approximately never.”

 

~

 

Kylan stood in front of her mirror shaking her head in dismay. Mari and Sera had descended on her and truly outdone themselves on her outfit. Sera was a mess on her own, but Mari worked in professional photography and a much better eye for this sort of thing.

Her hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail, with two small braids from either side of her head tucked into the hair band. The makeup around her eyes had been minimized to just a sharp line of eyeliner to bring attention to the startling green she naturally possessed. Her lips, however, had been painted a red so dark it almost appeared black. They had dressed her in a dark forest green tank top that clung to her frame, and snug blue jeans.

 

Kylan blinked at her reflection, thinking she hadn’t gone out looking like this since she was a teenager. At least this time the clothing moved with her and she would have more give to dance freely. That was what she really needed to leave this nasty day behind.

“Stop ogling yourself! Let’s go!” Mari scolded from the doorway. “We’re going to be late! I don’t want to get stuck without anywhere to sit.”

With one last sigh at her reflection, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

 

~

 

By some miraculous feat of engineering, this venue managed to be even smaller than the first one Kylan had been to. The stage took up all of one wall that appeared to look like a small basement, with one bar at the back and looked down on by an upper floor that could only be termed a balcony. The upper area also had a small bar, and the three girls were all perched on stools around a little table right up against the railing. Kylan looked over at the stage and sipped her first drink.

 

The first band was already set up and a small crowd was beginning to gather near the front. “Awesome seats you found us, Mari.”

Mari sat a little back on her stool and preened. “I have a talent.”

Sera snorted. “Yeah, fer bein’ a priss pants!”

Mari pointedly ignored the comment and kept her gaze on Kylan. “So the first band playing is called Amaranthine, but the second band up should be Uthenera. I’ve heard them play before, they are really good.”

Kylan smiled and took a larger swig of her drink. Perfect. That was exactly what she’d hoped for; some really good music to help dance away the stress of the week. And the eye-candy that was the lead singer didn’t hurt either.

 

The first band started in and the group stayed up at their table, watching from up on high and bobbing along to the sounds. Kylan eyed the crowd gathered near the front of the stage and decided a second drink would be needed before she got up the nerve to smush herself up with that many people. But the drinks were strong, the music was good, and it wasn’t long before she let Sera drag her away from the safety of the chairs to brave the dance floor.

 

Third, half-drunk, beverage in hand, and she was grooving alongside Sera and Mari near the fringes of the crowd. The reverberations of the first guitarist's strings melted away as the first set ended and parts of the crowd dispersed to get at the bar. 

“Now’s our chance!” Mari crowd-whispered in her ear. “Let’s go get a view up near the stage!”

Mari took Kylan by the other elbow and pointed off to a semi-clear area that had opened up to the left of center stage, in-between two speakers. She nodded her assent, downed the last bit of her drink, and they meandered over to their new spot on the floor.

She looked about for Sera and saw her engaged in conversation with a rather short and adorable little red-head near the barstools. Guess it was just her and Mari. And a boy with long braided hair who had just taken up the empty spot right next to her. Uthenera was being announced to the crowd and nothing could have bothered her at this point. She smiled back at the boy who had just nodded at her and turned her attention to the stage.

The band came onto the stage to scattered cheers and whoops. Fen’harel stepped up to the mic and introduced his bandmates. His sultry voice amplified through the speakers tickled something in her memory, but the alcohol in her system was fuzzing up her thought processes. She fumbled for a bit with why she was getting an odd sense of recognition, but then he started to sing and the band kicked into high gear, and all thought was lost to the music as it resounded through the tiny venue.

 

_Dive your hand in, feel the longing…_

 

Kylan found herself dancing closer to the stage, her eyes on the lead singer as he leaned into his mic, cradling it in his hands as he swayed with the music.

 

_We shall crack the sky’s foundation…_

 

Fen’harel was not a stationary performer. He moved with the music, rocking forward as he sang which set his long braids swinging. Kylan, drawn in by the power of his voice, found herself moving forward to get as close to the stage as possible. From her new vantage point, she could see the strength of him. He wore no sleeves, and his muscles flexed as he rocked against the mic stand. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

As the song wound down to its close, Fen’harel moved his gaze along the front edge of the crowd and paused as his eyes met hers. Kylan caught her breath and fought not to blink, focusing on the intensity of his gaze. There was something more familiar now than even his voice had been, and she fought the alcohol haze to try and focus. She knew she had seen that face somewhere other than the music scene.

His gaze moved off to finish the sweep of the crowd but came back to rest on hers as he sang the final notes. The music trailed off, and he made a strangely abrupt movement that set his braids swinging back in front of his face as he turned away.

 

The slow train of thought that was trying to pull into the station of her memories quickly derailed. The boy that had been next to her touched her shoulder, pulling her attention away from the stage. Mari was standing next to him and smiling in a far off way. He pantomimed offering her a drink and pointed towards the bar. She looked over again at the stage, but Fen’harel had altered his stance to only offer her a side-view of his profile. With a quick rub of a temple, she turned back to the boy and nodded, signing back at him that she needed water.  No more alcohol for her. It was playing funny tricks with her mind.

 

Kylan took his hand and let herself be led away from the stage.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is a work close to my heart that was inspired by the fact that Gareth David-Lloyd has a real life rock band, Blue Gillespie, and the fact that most of the Five Finger Death Punch songs I listen to remind me in some way of Solas and Lavellan at various stages in their life and relationship. 
> 
> This is a work in progess fic that is half written, and completely outlined.
> 
> The Title "Ash'vhenan" simply means "Her Heart"


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